Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit will be operational by May 1.

In a statement on his X account on Friday, April 10, 2026, Murkomen said he had already engaged the team responsible for driving the initiative forward, noting the government’s focus on meeting the set deadline.

“As per the directive of President William Ruto and the cooperation agreement between the national government and the Nairobi City County government, we are committed to establishing the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit by May 1,” Murkomen said.

Why this unit?

The CS said the session reviewed progress on the formation and operationalization of the unit, which is expected to enhance security management in the capital.

He explained that the proposed unit is specifically designed to address the unique security demands of a densely populated urban center like Nairobi, where rapid growth continues to strain existing policing structures.

“This morning, I convened a meeting of the technical committee spearheading the formation and operationalisation of the unit to get the implementation progress report. The unit, which is critical in managing the security of a high-population metropolis, is aimed at making the city safer for residents, visitors, and investors,” Murkomen said.

Similar plans by the ministry

This comes a week after the Inspector General of the National Police Service, Douglas Kanja, launched a specialised security unit aimed at strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure at Del Monte Kenya.

Murkomen, while speaking during a press briefing in Nakuru on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, unveiled plans for a new Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit (NMPU), describing it as a model Kenya has never seen before. He said the unit will start in Nairobi before expanding to other cities.

Murkomen said the NMPU comes from a cooperation agreement between the Nairobi County Government and the national government.

President William Ruto and Governor Johnson Sakaja signed the deal on February 17, 2026 at State House. Ruto gave Murkomen 60 days to present a full operational plan.

Murkomen said his team studied policing models in major cities around the world, adding that they relied on research and documented success stories to shape the new unit.

“What we will do in Nairobi will become the prototype that we will apply in all the other four cities in the country and other upcoming urban areas,” Murkomen said.